Primark to trial a click and collect service at dozens of North West stores this year
Primark has confirmed that a long-awaited click and collect service is to be trialled at dozens of its North West stores.
The owners of the fashion retail giant, Associated British Foods (ABF), has announced that it will trial a click and collect service on an expanded range of children’s products, and has revealed that the trial is set to take place in up to 25 stores in the northwest of England.
The range includes about 2,000 items across clothing, accessories, and lifestyle products.
After it was revealed last year that Primark was to launch a new website where shoppers would be able to see what products were available to buy in their local branch before they arrive in store, Associated British Foods has now said that it believes that click and collect has the potential to “satisfy unfulfilled demand”.
It also believes the trial would drive footfall to high streets across North West England, both from existing and new customers.
The trial will begin towards the end of the year.
“We have chosen a much-expanded range of children’s products for this trial, which we believe has the potential to satisfy unfulfilled demand, driving footfall from both existing and new customers to deliver incremental sales in store,” ABF said as part of a trading update.
The trial will also include nursery furniture that the retailer said would be “particularly attractive for our customers who do not regularly shop in our larger stores”.
ABF added: “This trial will enable us to provide more fashion, licence and lifestyle products to more customers and more often. In-store collection will be available from designated areas, designed to be welcoming and situated in the heart of the store”.
In-store returns will be also be offered free as part of the trial, ABF confirmed.
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The announcement of the click and collect trial comes as ABF issued a trading statement showing that sales at Primark were up 81% over the 12 weeks to 28 May compared with the same period in 2021, at £1.7 billion.
The company also confirmed that sales in the quarter were also 4% higher than the same period in 2019, just ahead of the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK.
Featured Image – Primark